TI's New DaVinci(TM) Technology Development Kit Simplifies Design Effort for Next-Generation Video Applications

TI's New DaVinci(TM) Technology Development Kit Simplifies Design Effort for Next-Generation Video Applications

June 12, 2006

Unprecedented Tools Radically Improve Software Integration and System Visibility

    HOUSTON, Texas, June 12 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
Continuing to streamline the creation of innovative digital
video systems, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) (TI) today
announced a new digital video software development kit
based on DaVinci(TM) technology.  The new software
development kit incorporates exceptional software
integration and system visualization technology with a full
Linux operating system to integrate and tune complex systems
quickly and efficiently.  For more information, please see
http://www.ti.com/dvsdkpr . 

    System designers will use the software development kit
to have even greater access to TI's DaVinci technology, the
industry's most powerful combination of video hardware and
software.  The new kit includes the eXpressDSP(TM)
Configuration Kit, TMS320DM644x SoC Analyzer based on
eXpressDSP Data Visualization Technology and MontaVista's
Linux to help reduce the application development cycle from
months to weeks.  Developers will use the kit to create and
tune optimized IP-set top boxes, video phones, video
security systems and other advanced digital video
applications.

    "To create our smart surveillance camera reference
design, we took advantage of TI's new software development
kit and DaVinci technology to achieve optimum system
performance and simultaneously shaved more than three
months off of our expected development time," said
Upendra Patel, chief technology officer, eInfochips. 
"The complete package consisting of multimedia codecs,
MontaVista Linux and framework components with DaVinci
technology enables us to deliver high performance and
feature-rich solutions addressing the needs of target
market segments."

    New capabilities streamline video system development

    The eXpressDSP(TM) Configuration Kit, included in the
new software development kit, allows system developers to
integrate discrete software modules and combine them into a
single executable output for the system, avoiding months of
tedious manual integration.  By making it possible to
easily create custom bundles of codecs for specific
applications, the configuration kit simplifies code reuse
and gives developers time to focus their engineering
efforts on adding features and value to their products. 
The configuration kit integrates TI's video, imaging,
speech and audio codecs, as well as custom codecs that
comply with TI's eXpressDSP(TM) Digital Media (xDM)
algorithm standard, TI's codec engine framework,
DSP/BIOS(TM) real-time kernel and TI's DSP/BIOS Link
inter-processor communication technology.

    The unparalleled DM644x SoC Analyzer in the software
development kit is the first single tool to provide
complete system visibility, enabling developers to identify
bottlenecks that were previously impossible to identify. 
The minimally invasive tool aids in analyzing and
identifying problems by capturing and graphically
displaying system interaction, load distribution,
bottlenecks in data throughput and other types of behavior.
 As the tasks run on both the DSP and ARM cores of the
TMS320DM644x processors the analyzer captures and displays
the data on a single timeline providing a complete system
view of the application, eliminating the tedious process of
manually collecting and comparing data on each core before
optimization begins.

    Finally, the software development kit also helps
developers reduce system test time with a robust,
digital-video optimized Linux OS offering for the DaVinci
technology-based DM644x processors.  The platform includes
a proven, system-tested Linux board support package from
MontaVista(TM) that has been optimized for video
applications.  Developers using the platform will license
and receive support for the MontaVista distribution and
DevRocket integrated development environment directly from
TI, which will give them access to the industry's vast
store of Linux-based resources.

    "TI's DaVinci technology, with best in class
performance, was the natural choice to use in our digital
media adaptor product and reference design," said
Alain Molinie, chief executive officer, Awox.  "The
processor enables multiple applications on a single
hardware device, provides comprehensive expansion
connectors with minimal glue logic and is tailored
specifically for digital video applications.  DaVinci
technology, based on a full software process for encoding
and decoding multimedia files, makes our reference design
future proof, while the MontaVista Linux allowed for rapid
development and reduced time to market."

    Pricing and availability

    The digital video software development kit based on
DaVinci technology will be available from TI in 3Q 2006. 
The TMDSSDK6446-L platform, with introductory pricing at
$6,995, includes the tools and features discussed in this
release and addresses the needs of developers who are
already invested in TI development tools.  For those
undertaking new DaVinci technology designs, the
TMDSSDK6446-3L, with introductory pricing at $10,995, also
includes an emulator and the Code Composer Studio(TM)
Integrated Development Environment, version 3.2, in
addition to the tools and features discussed in the
release. The software development kit requires a target
platform, and TI offers the digital video evaluation module
(DVEVM) for this purpose.  For more information about TI's
DaVinci technology offerings and to find about the DaVinci
Technology Technical Seminars in your region, see
http://www.thedavincieffect.com . 

    About Texas Instruments

    Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP
and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world
signal processing requirements.  In addition to
Semiconductor, the company includes the Educational &
Productivity Solutions business.  TI is headquartered in
Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales
operations in more than 25 countries.

    Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol TXN.  More information is located
on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com .

    Trademarks

    DaVinci, eXpressDSP, DSP/BIOS and Code Composer Studio
are trademarks of Texas Instruments.  All registered
trademarks and other trademarks belong to their respective
owners.

    For more information, please contact:

     Lisa Ferrara
     Texas Instruments
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

     Sarah Bodenman
     GolinHarris
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  Texas Instruments Incorporated